What Schiano said morning after Louisville loss

Plenty of good stuff from Greg Schiano’s day-after-Louisville-game teleconference, including what the Rutgers coach has to say to his frustrated fan base, how Tom Savage is handling not playing, who will start at QB in West Virginia, and the goal in what on paper is a meaningless game for the Scarlet Knights:

On the goal for the final game of the season:

“”To do the very best we can and hope that that results in a win. We’d like to end the year with a win. We’d like to send these seniors out with a win. It’s an opportunity to go down to West Virginia and do something we haven’t done (win in Morgantown).

“”But all that is talk. We need to prepare. We need to come out ready to play. We need to go play the game for however long it goes. And then do our best and see where that stacks up against West Virginia and the performance they do on Saturday.”

On what he has to say to the fan base that’s frustrated with this year’s performance:

“”Well, certainly I feel their frustration because there’s no one on the planet that’s more frustrated than I am. So can I feel their frustration? 50 times over. Because they’re frustrated, but then they go do a job or they go back to their family or they do something; my frustration doesn’t end. So yes, I feel their frustration. Sure, I do.

“”I can tell you this, though: I’m betting that the Rutgers people — the real Rutgers fans — are going to stick with this football team and this coaching staff because we’re going to get this fixed. This isn’t the end of the world. It’s disappointing, it’s sad that it had to happen. But this program is built, as I said in the beginning, on a rock-solid foundation. This storm won’t knock us off that foundation. And we’ll come back stronger.

“”So that’s what I say to our fans — we’ll be back. Our true fans will stick with us. The bandwagon fans will be there when we win again. And that’s life. I don’t have any ill feelings towards that. I’m in a profession that’s a very competitive profession. It’s entertainment. And when it doesn’t go well, people aren’t entertained. I understand that.

“”We’re in a big-time market. It’s great when you’re doing well and it’s tough when you’re not. I don’t wish that away. I enjoy that.”

On how Tom Savage is handling not playing and what it says about his quarterback preference that Chas Dodd continues to start and play entire games:

“”Tom’s working hard in his preparation. Tom’s working hard during the game. I know Tom is very disappointed. I’ve told Tom, ‘Keep preparing. When your chance comes, if it comes, you’ll be ready to take advantage of it.’ Just as I told every guy who’s not playing.

“”And he’s been good with me, he’s been good with me. I’m pleased with the way he’s handling it.”

On the O-line play and whether the problems are fixable:

“”There were a few times when they brought more than we had to protect and we have to get rid of the football. But then there were some other times when we just got man-handled, whooped one-on-one. Those are fixable. Getting rid of the football, knowing that you have to get rid of it before, is also fixable. We just didn’t do a good enough job getting it coached.

“”But when you get one-on-one beat you can say it’s fixable but that (defensive) guy is a good player, too. And maybe he’s better than we are. Can fix it? Can we work on technique? Can we help them get better? Sure. But when you get whooped one-on-one you either got whooped or you made a mistake.”

On whether deep passing plays can be accomplished or do they need to go with a short-passing game like they did at USF, in light of the O-line woes:

“”When a guy gets sacked, you say that. But when you watch the Cincinnati game and you go up top (and complete it), then you say, ‘Well, that’s the way we move the football.’ There’s certain protections. You can’t generically look at a play and say, ‘Can you do it?’ Certain times you’re keeping six in, seven in, to protect. When you keep seven guys in you should be able to protect it, theoretically of course. But you would hope you’d be able to protect it so you usually tie the protection in with the route depth.

“”Some of those when we got whooped, it doesn’t matter if you keep 50 in. If one guy gets whooped by another guy, numbers aren’t going to matter.”

On whether he noticed if DB Joe Lefeged is getting fatigued:

“”I don’t know. I don’t think we played well in the secondary. I don’t know if it’s fatigued or what the reason is. We’re not playing well in the secondary. We haven’t played well in the secondary.”

On whether he plans on shutting RB Joe Martinek down in this final week:

“”He couldn’t play Saturday. We tried. He just couldn’t do it. It’ll all depend … you know sometimes all of a sudden it starts feeling better. I think the only thing that’s going to heal him, like several guys, is an offseason.

“”Mohamed (Sanu) certainly was in there a couple plays but he was not himself. We’ve been bit by that (injury) bug. Sometimes you try to make things happen but the body will let you know when it can. Guys like Joe and Mohamed want to play so bad that I try to let them give it a try but the reality is they couldn’t do it.”

On whether the O-line issues can be fixed with guys in the program or is it something else:

“”Well, the something else you’re referring to would have to be bringing guys from out of the program through recruiting. That’s always part of the equation. Development of players is part of the equation, too. We need to continue to develop them, we need to recruit and develop. That’s our whole philosophy here at Rutgers. We need to continue to do both and, as I said earlier, we didn’t get here overnight. And we’re not going to get out of this situation overnight.

“”But we’ll get better because we’re going to continue to develop them and we’re going to continue to recruit.”

On the schedule for the players going forward:

“”We will meet tomorrow and then we will meet and walk-through on Monday. And then we’ll practice Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and get on a plane Friday and go play Saturday.”

On getting his players emotionally ready to play this game considering the ”meaningless” factor:

“”I’m not concerned. I look at it as a great opportunity for me to look at our football program and about individuals within this program. I got a great chance to sit back and watch to see who the real fighters are. And hopefully not to see the other side of it. But if it happens, it will happen.

“”There’s an old saying, ‘Adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals character.’ We’re deep in the thick of adversity. And we’re going to have some character revealed here. We (already) have and we’re going to have some more revealed here in the next week.”

On whether he’s contemplating playing some younger guys to see them under fire at West Virginia:

“”We’re going to whatever gives us the best chance to win this football game. So if it’s a young guy, it’s because I feel it gives us the best chance to win the football game. The last two weeks we haven’t executed very well so there may be reasons to make a change in the depth that would give us the best chance to win this game. But there will be no ‘playing to see future guys.’ No, that’s not in my plans right now.”

On whether he plans to start Chas Dodd or Tom Savage at quarterback at West Virginia:

“”Chas will start.”

On how Chas is feeling physically and whether he’s concerned with the hits he’s taking:

“”I’m certainly concerned. I mean, there’s some vicious hits going on out there. He is a very tough kid. I worry that he’s not telling me everything so I press him on it. Our trainers check him out and he seems to be ok. But yes, I am deeply concerned. Someone shouldn’t get hit like that.”

About Keith Sargeant

Keith Sargeant is a graduate of Middlesex County College and Kean University. A Home News Tribune staff writer since August 1997, Keith has been covering Rutgers sports since 2000, serving as the Scarlet Knights' football beat writer since 2006.

When the season end, can you pepper the coach with the questions of hiring a offensive coordinator? No need to split OC title with two people and DC title with two people, have two main guys with significant experience.

What a joke. Says that he plays the guys that gives RU the best chance to win … Just after he admits that he let Martinek give it a try … Which led to two unnecessary sacks early in the game because gimpy Joe FAILED to pick up the blitzes. So does GS play favorites, even when itnis obvious that the kids are hurt? Hell yes. And that’s why there’ll be an exodus of transfers after the season and GS will be complaining about what a young team he has … Again next year. Have fun in 1AA — Savage, Rocket, Givens, Lane, Bush and the Merrills.

Savage and Williams should be leaving immediately and if I were Dodd’s dad, I’d be talking to my son about him leaving too. Schiano is a joke, no running game and Williams barely touches the ball? Although with the worst O line in the nation, he might be doing him a favor. Dorsett couldn’t run behind that line. Well said Palkolives…..The real fans want RU to succeed and are certainly not the Kool Aid drinkers who usually gush over everything Schiano utters. It is the coaching staff but it goes back to the grossly overpaid head coach. No one wants to work for this arrogant man. We’re no 92 today on CBS Sports. Pernetti, do you really think Schiano can fix the problem? He is the problem.

Rivals rankings generally have Rutgers recruiting at #30 to #35 most years – that seems to indicate that RU has better talent than their performance – that may, perhaps, indicate poor coaching and poor game preparation?
Ten years into a coaching tenure – the team performance should be better than shown by Schiano and RU – BUT – NOT to defend Schiano, but look at Texas this season – 5-7 after having played for the national championship last season; Wake Forest in the ACC also has had a disastrous year despite the long tenure of their coach – bad seasons do happen.
Schiano has restored RU to some respectibility – BUT – has NOT won the Big East – and he is paid an awful lot of money to coach a minor football program that in winning seasons goes to a minor bowl.
Did the fans and the Administration really believe that Schiano was going to have RU compete for a national championship – really? NEVER going to happen!
The Big East is the weakest of the BCS conferences – and probably should NOT even be a BCS conference.
Beating the likes of Norfolk State and Florida International and losing to Tulane – RU fans need to lower their expectations for the program – accept some winning seasons and going to a minor bowl game – and NO Big East championships.
Interestingly – RU will tie Temple for the most LAST place finishes in the Big East and Temple was asked to leave the conference.
Rumors were about RU going to the Big Ten – wow – anyone really think that RU could compete in the Big Ten?

Sorry, can’t compare a Texas program that recently won a national title and was in the final game last year.

Grobe gets a pass because Wake won the ACC title and went to the Orange Bowl just four years ago. Four years ago, Schiano’s boys dropped the ball … literally … against WVU and went to the (gulp) Texas Bowl. So, yeah I think that Grobe gets a pass because he’s actually ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING! Compare that to Schiano who has WON NOTHING.

It never ceases to amaze me at how Rutgers fans will settle for mediocrity because of the Terry Shea “lost years”. After almost 40 years of attending RU games, I’d like to think that if we’re paying a guy a Top 20 salary year after year that he’d have a team that’s at least in the Top 40 instead of being OUTSIDE the Top 100 !!!

The silent majority supports RU and Schanio.This team will make major strides next year.The so called transfers,stop dreaming .These young men know more about the team consept and being part of something that will be much better in the future.Sticking together,being in the classroom,maturing as a team.Something all the naysayers haven’t a clue about.Keep on wishing for the end to the RU football program,but when it starts to get a lot better,you once again will jump on board ,as you people always have and always will.Critics without a clue,part of the east coast negative,defeastist thinking,for a few.

Bah! Humbug! The current state of Rutgers football is not the fault of the fans, be they students, alumni or anyone else. I’ve been through 59 seasons of waiting for RU to rate consistent Top 25 rankings–’52 till present–and know there are still more disappointments to come.

From student manager to tired old man, my greatest disappointment is that the Banks have not become a magnet for NJ’s best student-athletes–the prospect of earning a respected degree from ‘the great university’ in the nation’s No. 1 TV and ‘future career’ market. The Florida guys are great, but I’d rather have more local guys who started out wanting to come to RU, not just recruited.

I keep on wondering why the hierarchy hasn’t caught on to the importance of the athletic director’s role in all this–that’s where the buck really stops and it all starts with vision. I’m so tired of talk about the minor bowl streak, I’m actually glad it’s ended. I’ve enjoyed much of the progress of the football program, but it seems to have hit a brick wall. Chopping has run it’s course and dropped down to whittling. It’s time for another new beginning, no matter what it takes or who has to go, unless simply being on stage is all that really matters to those higher up than the AD that gage the importance, or lack there of, of the football program.

Old-timers like me just fade away, but oh how nice it would be to go out a winner. Isn’t hope supposed to spring something?

Schiano has one more season to make things right…otherwise we need a new head coach. This has nothing to do with fandom, as rurahrah has so elegantly put. Schiano doesn’t even talk like a winner, so it’s hard for me to expect his players to have the winning attitudes they need to climb up the rather large mountain that now stands before them. I do expect a lot of attrition from the player side. I don’t expect a good OC hire. Or DC hire if that’s also what is required here. Really, we need a new HC. I cheer for me school first and teams second. He needs to produce or go some where else. His lukewarm wimp coachspeak makes me sick.

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Jerry CarinoJerry Carino has covered sports for the Gannett New Jersey newspapers since 1996 and has been on the college basketball beat since 2003. A native of Old Bridge, he also teaches journalism at Kean University.E-mail Jerry

Josh NewmanJosh Newman has worked for the Press since September 2004 and began covering Shore Conference sports full time in September 2006. He is a 2004 graduate of Springfield College with a degree in communications/sports journalism.E-mail Josh

Ryan DunleavyRyan Dunleavy has covered Rutgers athletics for more than a decade, dating back to his days as a student at his alma mater. He became New Jersey Press Media’s Rutgers women’s basketball beat writer in 2009 and Rutgers football beat writer in 2013. Since joining the staff in 2004, the Morris County native also has covered the NFL, MLB, NBA, the Somerset Patriots and high school sports.E-mail Ryan